ON Cloudflyer Waterproof Review
Great Marketing, Mediocre Performance
Background
Before delving into the review, here’s some of my
background. For the past 6 months, I’ve worked in a sports shop specialized in
running shoes and gear. This shop carries brands such as New Balance, Asics,
Saucony and Hoka but places great emphasis on ON running shoes. As a result, ON
shoes are the best selling brand in the store. Working in a store like this has
allowed me to test and compare ON shoes fairly with the offerings of other
brands and how ON stacks up against the rest of the market.
Stats
Type: Cushioned Daily Trainer
Features: Waterproof
Weight: 292grams (US 8.5)
Heel to toe drop: 7mm
Category: Stability
Upper
Technology
The Cloudflyer Waterproof uses a fully waterproof yet
breathable engineered mesh built to keep both wind and water out of the shoe.
There are also reflective elements in many parts of the upper material which allows
for safer running at night or in heavy rain.
Thoughts
The waterproof layer is surprisingly breathable. I expected
a hot shoe especially at 32°C weather but the shoe remained decently cool even
at such conditions. The waterproof layer serves it’s purpose well. I ran about
5-6 runs in moderate rain and I’m pleased that my feet were kept dry. The only
area that got wet was near the ankle collar, which did not really bother me.
Also, the reflective elements are good looking and work very
well for me at low light conditions.
Ankle Collar/Heel Counter
The ankle collar is cushioned well and irritation free. The
padding at the sides reminds me of a car seat. It hugs the ankle nicely and
provides great comfort to my ankle. However, the padding on the medial side of
the shoe should be done away with. With reference to the picture below, the
padding makes the shoe look less aerodynamic and more out of shape. It ruins
the look from an aesthetic point of view but does not affect the performance of
the shoe.
The heel counter is a great contributor to the stability of
the shoe. The Cloudflyer comes with a substantial heel counter which cradles
the foot and keeps it from shifting around in the shoe.
Tongue
In the Cloudflyer, the tongue is well cushioned. It
protected the top of my feet well from any lacing pressure. An important thing
to note is the tongue is fixed to the shoe. This means that consumers would not
have to worry about the tongue shifting all over the place.
Fit & Lacing
The Cloudflyer runs on the narrow side. I had to change the
special 'star lacing' at the front of the shoe to accommodate and allow my feet
to spread. The star lacing at the front was intended by ON to provide more
stability and a better fit to the user. However, for people with wide feet,
this lacing technique just cramps up the toe box further. Changing the lacing
did not result in any noticeable loss of support or comfort for me. Even with
the laces changed, the shoes continue to squeeze my foot mildly but not to the
extent of discomfort.
Midsole and Ride
Quality
Technology
The Midsole is made of EVA foam moulded into unique
'CloudTec' pods. The pods were designed to collapse upon impact, softening the landing
of the runner. The compressed pods would then provide a firm platform for take
off.
Thoughts
I’m not sure what makes the ride of the shoe uninspiring,
the type of foam used or the concept behind the midsole technology. I find the
ride rather dull and unresponsive. I don’t get any softness from the shoe,
everything is just firm. At recovery places, the shoe felt too harsh. At paces
uptempo and above, the weight and the unresponsive feel made it unenjoyable to
run in. Running on the treadmill or at steady paces are quite smooth.
The shoe is definitely stable, to the point that it feels
clunky sometimes. With the cushioning setup, this shoe will be a great crossfit
shoe for gymming and the occasional run on the treadmill.
Speed board
The speedboard is made from a semi-flexible plastic designed
for smoother heel-to-toe transitions and increased stability overall. I found
the speedboard to work especially well on treadmill runs. The speedboard
definitely balances out the pods evenly and make them work as a cohesive unit.
This prevents uneven pressure to be applied to individual pods.
A drawback of the speedboard is that it firms up the shoe
significantly. ON has a tendency to place the speedboard so close to the foot
as it’s impossible for the speedboard to be positioned anywhere else due to the
design of the midsole. Having the speedboard this close to the foot results in
a ride that is far from plush. Think of it as lying down on a wooden plank on a
pillow compared to a pillow on a wooden plank. The description of the latter
would definitely be more comfortable. ON has made an effort to soften the ride
through the use of a special insole, which will be addressed below.
Insole
The insole is made up of two sections. The first section is
a green memory-like foam that compresses easily. It is soft but does not have
good rebound properties. The insole shines at walking paces but fails to
impress when paces are picked up. The second section is a black foam material
that starts from the middle covering and cupping the first section at the heel.
The intended purpose is to centre the heel on the green platform. The function
seems to work decently well as I don’t find my heel slipping around.
I remember in my first ON shoe review on the ON Cloud that I
hoped for a different insole material to make for a more forgiving ride. ON did
change the material to the current memory foam variant. However, I’m not sure
if this was a step in the right direction for ON as the foam does not return to
it’s original form fast enough to cushion the next few steps while running.
I really do hope ON reads this and starts to consider thermoplastic-polyurethane
for it’s insole foam or adding a thin layer below the insole. Having a
speedboard in a shoe is fine, but having it so close to the foot means that the
ride will be more firm in nature. Utilizing a soft yet responsive material in
between the foot and the board would dilute some of the firm characteristics
and allow for a more forgiving and enjoyable ride at slower paces.
Outsole
Technology:
The Outsole is strategically placed with black rubber
patches at high wear areas in both the forefoot and heel for added durability
and grip.
Thoughts:
The Outsole is pretty grippy in dry conditions and decent in
wet conditions. I did not slip in wet weather when running on asphalt. I wonder
if the Outsole compound is an improvement from that of the non waterproof
version which lacked a lot of wet weather grip.
Durability
Upper:
It seems like On has poor quality control with their uppers. Having worked at Running Lab SG, a running store in Singapore for half a year and based on my own experience, the uppers of On's shoes wear out extremely quickly. By quickly i mean less than 6 months. I hope On looks into the quality of manufacturing in future batches.
Midsole:
The Midsole is
holding up well with 80km (50mi) in. However, I worry that with this
combination of EVA material and individual segmented holes In the cushioning,
the pods are bound to collapse sooner than if the midsole was one-piece.
Outsole:
The Outsole shows little signs of wear on the black rubber
pieces that cover most of the shoe. The tread of the 3 segments that are not
covered are holding up better than I expected.
Types of Workouts
The Cloudflyer Waterproof ☁️ works well at steady paced aerobic runs.
Pros:
-
Effective Waterproof Layer
-
Reflective Elements
-
Laterally stable
Cons:
-
Heavy
-
Firm- Not great at recovery paces or anything
faster than uptempo paces
-
Insole material needs improvement
-
Narrow
-
Stones stuck in middle groove
-
Quality control/poor design at ankle collar
-
Thin laces
Recommended
Conditions for Optimum Usage
-
Living in a country where it rains often
-
Steady run paces (varies from runner to runner)
-
Fancy a firm ride
-
Wants to look different
Suggestions
- -Offer 2E Widths
- - Scrap memory foam insole and use a thin thermoplastic-polyurethane/polyurethane
layer instead (Eg. Everun topsole)
- -Change midsole material to something more
'energised' and responsive (Think Adidas Boost/Nike React/Skechers
Ultraflight/Saucony Everun/Altra Ego)
- Apply outsole tooling of Cloud X to reduce
chances of stones getting stuck in middle groove
Thicker laces
Comparisons
ON Cloudflyer Waterproof VS Nike Odyssey React Shield
Two mild stability shoes with waterproofing technology. Both
companies technology works effectively, keeping water out during wet weather. The
Cloudflyer is slightly more breathable which makes it more suitable for hot and
humid weather. The Odyssey weighs 43 grams lighter and runs softer than the
Cloudflyer. Both shoes fit on the narrow side. Choosing between these shoes
will be a matter of preference. One thing to note is that the Odyssey is
cheaper than the Cloudflyer by a significant amount.
ON Cloudflyer Waterproof VS Nike Pegasus Turbo
The Pegasus Turbo is one of the best versatile trainers in
the market right now. The Cloudflyer Waterproof is 54 grams heavier than the
Turbo and offers a much firmer ride despite being marketed as 'supremely
cushioned'. The Turbo is much softer and responsive, performing well for
recovery runs to track intervals. Other than the added stability and
waterproofing on the Cloudflyer, the Turbo is just on a different level.
ON Cloudflyer Waterproof VS Asics GT-2000 v6
The Asics GT-2000 is one of the most popular mild stability
trainers currently. The GT-2000 is softer than the Cloudflyer, especially in
the heel. Both shoes are of a similar narrow fit. I find that the Cloudflyer
has a better constructed upper. In terms of ride quality, the GT-2000 is more
enjoyable to run in at easy paces due to its more forgiving midsole. Nod to the
GT-2000 v6.
Conclusion
The On Cloudflyer is a mild stability shoe best used for
steady runs in wet weather. ON running has brought in decent shoes to the
table, but has a long way to go before coming anywhere close to being a
competitor in the rapidly evolving market of shoe technology. After 8 years,
it’s time for ON Running to move on with the times. If they want to see growth,
changing the midsole material or density is a must.
[This shoe was sponsored by On Running for the purposes of a review. All reviews written are unabiased and for the purposes of aiding others in their shoe selection]
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